New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETIITION) The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), the world's preeminent global songwriting event, is pleased to announce its 2010 winners. ISC's Grand Prize for 2010 is awarded to Australian native Kasey
Chambers for her song "
Beautiful Mess", entered in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category.
Chambers also has the distinction of winning First Place in the Americana category for her song "Devil On Your Back" and Second Place in the Performance category for "Little Bird". The Grand Prize winner takes home $25,000 in cash (US) and $20,000 in merchandise and services.
Called "the songwriting competition to take note of," by the New York Times, ISC was established in 2002 and awards more than $150,000 in cash and prizes to amateur and professional songwriters around the globe. Winners are selected from over 15,000 songs submitted from 115 countries worldwide. Judges include iconic artists Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits, Kings of Leon, Jeff Beck, Robbie Williams, McCoy Tyner, Kelly Clarkson, Train, Michael W. Smith, Robert Smith (The Cure), Wynonna,and many more. In addition to the high-profile artists included in the roster of judges for 2010, ISC boasts five record label presidents as well as other industry leaders, offering songwriters the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by influential decision-makers. See below for the complete list of judges.
For a complete list of 2010 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, go to https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.
Kasey Chambers' Grand Prize winning song, "Beautiful Mess," features Missy Higgins on backing vocals and is the second single from the album, Little Bird. Chambers wrote the song for her two children because, as she says, parenting is often a "beautiful mess," and her songwriting is an outlet by which she expresses her love to them.
Winning ISC is yet another accolade in an already successful and respected musical career. Hailing from a family of musicians, Kasey Chambers' distinctive voice and impeccable songwriting have carved an indelible niche in the Country and Americana genres in Australia and beyond. The winner of countless ARIA, APRA, and CMMA awards, she has achieved the distinction of being the only Australian Country artist to have a No 1 single and album on the charts in Australia simultaneously. Aside from her multi-platinum sales and Billboard success, she has toured with such legendary voices as Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, and more. Kasey is currently touring Australia and heading to the USA in July, 2011.
Candace Avery, the Founder and Director of ISC, says this of Chambers, "Kasey is that rare artist whose beautifully crafted songs cross over into such a wide variety of genres, including Country, Americana, Pop, Folk, and AAA. She has even put out an album of children's music. But, it is the authenticity and sincerity of her music and lyrics that make her songs resonate so strongly with her fans - and also with the ISC judges. We are proud to have her as the 2010 ISC Grand Prize winner. Regarding all our other winners, ISC was especially competitive this year, making the stature of being selected a winner an honor that is even more prestigious than in past years."
In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share the spotlight for winning their respective categories in ISC 2010. These winners hail from all over the world (54% of this year's winners come from outside the USA), representing diverse cultures and ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 22 categories include all genres of contemporary music, including a new category, Unsigned Only, which was added specifically for artists who are unsigned to a record label or publishing company. See below for a complete list of ISC 2010 winners.
Applauded for its high caliber of judges, ISC compiled a stellar panel of judges for the 2010 competition, including:
Recording Artists: Tom Waits; Kings Of Leon; Jeff Beck; Ben Harper; Kelly Clarkson; Timbaland; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Robbie Williams; Peter Gabriel; Black Francis (The Pixies); Rihanna; Robert Smith (The Cure); Train; Jerry Lee Lewis; Ben Folds; Chris Hillman (The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers); Michael W. Smith; John Mayall; Ray Wylie Hubbard; Jeremy Camp; John Scofield; McCoy Tyner; Robert Earl Keen; James Cotton; Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); DJ Tiesto; Baaba Maal; Sandra Bernhard; Montel Jordan; John Digweed; Adele; Alejandro Sanz; Matt Thiessen (Relient K); Craig Morgan; Keane; Jazmine Sullivan; Regina Spektor; Terence Blanchard; Dan Zanes; Joe Nichols; and Chayanne
Industry Executives: Monte Lipman (President/CEO, Universal Republic Records); Amanda Ghost (President, Epic Records USA); Dan Storper (President, Putamayo World Music & Putamayo Kids); Ric Arboit (President, Nettwerk Music Group); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Lisa Ramsey-Perkins (Sr. Director A&R, Sony Music Nashville); Rick Krim (Exec. VP Talent and Music Programming, VH1); Brian Malouf (VP A&R, Walt Disney Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R Latin America, Sony Music and President, Discos 605); Doug Cohn (Sr. VP Music Marketing & Talent, Nickelodeon); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Dr. Demento (Radio Host of The Dr. Demento Show); Steve Lillywhite (Producer - credits include U2, The Rolling Stones, Morrissey, Peter Gabriel, and more); Kim Buie (VP A&R, Lost Highway); Brad Schwartz (Senior VP/GM, Much MTV Group); Tommy Morris (Talent Coordinator, The Comedy Store); and Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO, Music For Little People)
Sponsors included: ASCAP, Berklee College Of Music, Martin & Co., Disc Makers, D'Addario, Thayers, Shure, West One, Tune Core, Onlinegigs, SongU.com, The Music Business Registry, Tanager AudioWorks, Grooveshark, Independent Mastering, Aspen Brownieworks, Indie Venue Bible, Sonicbids, Taxi, Music Submit, Celebrity Access, and Alphabet Arm Design.
ISC is now accepting entries for 2011. Go to https://www.songwritingcompetition.com for more information and an entry form.
For a complete list of ISC 2010 winners please go to https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners
